Indianapolis – Darius Garland is still suffering.
The gaze on his face clearly indicated him. The way he moved the court also did it.
Garland came back from an absence of two weeks more Friday evening, playing a key role in the victory of Cleveland, the series of 126-104 on the Indiana Pacers in match 3 of the semi-finals of the Eastern Conference.
“I just want to be there for my guys,” said Garland in the locker room afterwards. “Everyone put their body and injuries at stake. We fought. I just went out to win this series. ”
Even if the Pacers run the series of seven best 2-1, the Cavs took their first step towards this.
“We didn’t do anything,” said Garland. “We are still down a match, so we have to come here Sunday with the same attitude, the same state of mind and the same physique with which we have played today. Bring it to another level.”
On April 23, at the end of the fourth quarter of the Cavs’ victory in the first round on Miami Heat, Garland re-aged an injury to the toes that started to disturb him towards the end of the regular season. Diagnosed with a large toe wrapped on his left foot, Garland told Cleveland.com late Friday evening that the original calendar was two weeks longer, closer to four – although it was listed several times as questionable, the same injury designation which he transported in match 3.
“You don’t understand what I’m going through,” said Garland. “I mean, everyone had their opinion.”
During his absence, which covered four consecutive qualifying games – the last couple against Miami, then two others in the conference semi -final – Garland was relegated to driving an exercise bike, jogging on the Alterg anti -gravity treadmill and using the Versaclimber, all possible to stay in the shape of a game and keep the pressure of their foot.
There was a minimum of basketball activity – until Thursday when Garland participated in the team’s step by step procedure before leaving for Indiana. He was back on the field on Friday morning during the Cleveland shot in Gainbridge Fieldhouse – the last team session before his unmissable match with the Pacers. Its final test occurred about 75 minutes before the TIP, Garland passing through its usual pre-match routine-Movement shooting, pull-ups, pick-And-Rolls simulated, change of direction, cut, dribble.
He passed.
Ditto with the defensive player of the year Evan Mobley, who fights in a tracked ankle which had done it in a walking boot earlier this week and prevented it from putting total weight on his leg.
The reserve striker of’Andre Hunter also received a medical authorization despite a dislocated right thumb suffered in match 1 which has significant swelling near the base of his palm, which made him feel great pain on the impact, in particular during the capture of the ball.
Garland. Mobley. Hunter. Three of the four best scorers of the team in the playoffs.
And just like that, the head of the East was whole again.
“We are a different team,” said Cavs coach Kenny Atkinson. “(Garland) plays just through a lot of pain, quite honestly. To make him play this game, let’s just say that there have been a lot of things that have entered it and he takes a little for the team here. I think he had to do a lot. NOW.”
It was far from perfect.
Garland, who also bloodied his knee and hampered the ground at different points, finished with 10 points out of 3 of the 11 shots and 2 out of 7 from the beach of 3 points to go with three assists against four reversals in 25 uncultivated minutes.
Nevertheless, its impact went far beyond the score of the pedestrian box.
Unlike some of his teammates, Garland had no problem with the pressure of the Indiana field – a weak point of Cleveland when the match was collapsed. He took part of the initiator, games and starting games of Donovan Mitchell who had his second highest rate of use of all time on Tuesday evening – and spent the last minutes in cramps. The presence of Garland forced the united and fiery defense of Indiana to change its individual clashes. He minimized the need for the sixth man Ty Jerome, who fought powerfully in this series, with some physical limitations exploited.
“Darius means a lot,” said Mitchell, who paid a 43 -point summit, his second consecutive reaching the 40 -point threshold. “Obviously, he is struck and plays through things. I told him that 20% of you, 30% of you are everything we need, guy. He fights and Eviscie. We love this spirit of combat. A lot of respect for him. I am very happy that he is there. Relieved a lot of pressure.
“Now win the recovery match and start again on Sunday.”
There was a debate on the question of whether Garland will come to this point so early. In his conversations with Atkinson, the new coach of the year offered support and made a specific request.
“He was trying to say to me:” Don’t rush “,” said Garland about Atkinson’s message. “But I’m going to play basketball. I’m going to win games.”
Garland said that his recovery is always a daily process, using ice as the most effective form of treatment while including the unpredictability of this injury, especially after his most atrocious effort in almost three weeks. The last recovery started late Friday evening. No time to waste. It is less than 48 hours until the match 4 – and a chance the same as this series which suddenly has a very different tone.
“It’s great to have everyone on board and ready to play. It’s the most important thing,” said Garland. “I feel good. We won. I had to start again on Sunday. “
